A Flash of Ruby
by Chayin
Summary: Overwhelmed by the pressures of his job, Steven Stone seeks relief at a nearby club. There he encounters a young boy with exotic ruby eyes that will change his life completely.
1. Chapter 1

_Welcome!  
_

_Chayin here, just to fill you in on the important parts of this story before you read:  
_

_This is rated 'M' for a reason, especially in this chapter- and it is M/M. You've been warned.  
_

_The following chapters will be unlikely to contain much mature content, however. _

_It's also slightly AUish, there will be no pokemon or pokemon training._

_Hopefully you'll enjoy this story, it's going to be an interesting ride that I'm looking forward to! _

_Enjoy! xoxoxo_

* * *

.~*~.

Today was the day everything had gone wrong. Today was the day that the shipment of Devon Corp.'s latest product failed to arrive. Today was the day that the meeting with every associate from Silph Co. was cancelled due to "inclement weather." Today was also the day that Steven, as vice president, had to scramble to cancel the catering, transportation, entertainment and lodging for 750 guests, none of which were refundable. Today was the day that the goddamn dry-cleaners ruined 3 of Steven's finest suits.

Obviously when Brawly asked Steven to go out for drinks with him tonight, he didn't hesitate to oblige.

Steven was never a heavy drinker, but today- this horrific day- allowed for an exception. His objective was to drink until his god-awful headache ceased to wrack his skull with pain. The night was still fairly young and Steven was losing count of how many drinks he'd already finished. It was somewhere shortly after 8 beers, he thought, although it didn't matter. He had no intentions of stopping until the pain went away. Brawly had disappeared into the crowd of dancers somewhere around five beers. At 5 beers and 1 shot of gin it was just after midnight so Steven assumed it was about 12:30…or something.

He found himself alone at the bar, two…or was it three shots of gin in, downing another glass quickly and practically slamming it down on the counter. The nightclub, _Roxanne's_, was hot and had a distinct smell of cigarettes, alcohol and sweat. The music that overwhelmed the room was heavy and thudding, fueling the pulsating bodies that littered the dance floor with the electronic charges of sound. Steven much preferred a quiet bar with little to no music, better yet- drinking alone at home until slipping into an alcohol-induced slumber, but Brawly insisted on coming here; something about hooking up with Roxanne and party, he wasn't quite sure what the blue haired surfer was rambling about, however inconsequential. The young business tycoon merely wanted to erase all memories of his dreadful day. Unfortunately, it seemed as though his present thoughts were the ones afflicted by the alcohol, his headache and memories remained unscathed.

The memory of Mr. Stone, his father, screaming at him and frantic employees running around to meet deadlines and deliver messages was still too fresh in his mind. The silverette slumped against the counter and flagged the bartender down for the umpteenth time that night. After mumbling something about another glass of gin the bartender gave him an incredulous look.

"I'm sorry sir, but don't you think you should slow down?" Steven all but glowered at the young man and shoved his money forward. Slowing down _was not_ an option.

"Not as long as I have this fucking headache." He was rather pleased that his words weren't _quite_ slurred yet, but relief still felt far off. The bartender took the money and slid a frothy glass of golden liquid across the countertop.

"If that doesn't fix your problem, nothing will." And he walked off to tend to other customers. _He'd better be right._

Steven spun around on the barstool, taken aback at how difficult it was to keep his balance. He was practically teetering on the narrow stool.

On the dance floor the countless bodies continued to pulsate as they had all night; Brawly appeared to be long gone, not that Steven particularly cared. He took a mouthful of the bitter liquid and noticed the haze of drunkenness that had already spread throughout his body.

At this point He'd lost any concept of time, but his glass was now empty and the room was rocking much more than it had earlier that evening. He leaned back against the counter to keep himself from keeling over while he scanned the crowd of dancers.

It was surprising to see so many people out at a club on a…what was it again? Thursday? Maybe it was Friday; he didn't strain himself to remember. Most of the people had grabbed a partner to dance with at this point and were thrusting about the floor together. Steven had never been a dancer; once he'd taken waltzing lessons under the persistence of his mother, who insisted that every properly-raised young man should have the ability to Ballroom dance, but that was the extent of his dancing experience.

Although, much to Steven's confusion, he found it somewhat entrancing to watch the colorful figures cavort about the room. The ability of dancing while drunk, let alone sober, seemed like a feat far beyond his capability. Nevertheless, the intoxicated businessman slid further back against the hard marble and watched the gyrating bodies with unfocused eyes.

Then he saw it. The flash of ruby colored gems that would change his life completely. They caught his attention, only visible for a moment, just before disappearing behind pale lids as quickly as they appeared. He must have been mistaken to think such a vivid color could be one's eyes. He struggled to keep his unsteady vision on the owner of said eyes, hoping to catch another glimpse.

The dancer was alone, they seemed so in tune with the heavily thumping beat of the music- eyes closed the entire time. Steven felt himself getting lost in the fluid movement of their body, pulsing and swaying as if no one else existed but them. Eyes eased open, garnet glistening eyes that surely weren't figments of his inebriated imagination. Their gaze was pointed in Steven's general direction, seeming to look over him before slipping closed once again. The beat of the music changed and their dancing became more _suggestive_; hips revolving in small black shorts, back arching and hands traveling exposed hips. What captured Steven almost as much as those unrealistic eyes were the smooth, pale legs left vulnerable from the small shorts. He could hardly pry his gaze from those milky white thighs, entranced by the way they danced and swung with the music, rolled with narrow hips and smoothly sashayed as they came closer.

He barely noticed that the dancer stopped thrusting with the music and began to _saunter_ in his direction. Thighs were close. _Maybe I could touch them._

"Mister," He looked up, oh _god_ those eyes were looking at him. "Are you just gonna stare at me or are you gonna dance?" Steven's lips parted in a surprised "oh" when soft hand on his chin drew him closer to those overwhelming eyes. _They couldn't be real. _Due to a noticeable lack of breasts under the tight black crop top and a lovely tenor voice Steven concluded that he was, in fact, a boy. Steely blue eyes glanced down at tight black shorts and creamy thighs, noting the slight protrusion of fabric. _Definitely a boy_.

The dancer's body was close now. _Really _close. Steven could feel the warmth coming off of it, his thigh brushed against black slacks and he leaned in closer to Steven's confused face. He smelled like alcohol and a spicy cologne, which Steven found to be more intoxicating than the alcohol. His mouth was near Steven's ear, hand on his chest.

"Don't pretend to be clueless. I saw you staring at me out there." His hands, which were smaller than Steven realized grabbed larger ones and lifted them, guiding. "So, handsome, do you just want to watch…" He placed large hands on his exposed hips, beneath loose hoodie flaps. His hips were warm and soft in Steven's hands, his breath felt amazing against Steven's tense neck. "Or _touch_?" His breathy whisper in Steven's ear practically made the older man topple over on his stool.

Little hands grasping Steven's jacket began to pull him from his seat, ruby eyes even more forceful than the hands. The thin hips in his grasp began to move with the beat once again, trying to draw him to the dance floor. Large hands hooked onto the exposed skin of his waist and stopped the boy from pulling him. _I could never dance with someone like him. Not like this_.

"Can't dance." The silver-haired mumbled towards the stranger, surprised to feel his body close in on once again; Hand tangled in his hair, smooth thighs straddling him in the stool and lips placed just below his ear.

"Let's go do something _else_ then." Lips crashed against Steven's in a heated kiss, he was almost feral in the way he devoured the helpless lips. Steven didn't stand a chance against this little imp. His tongue took little hesitation in invading his mouth and exploring aggressively, eventually slowing down to an excruciatingly teasing dance. It seemed everything about this boy was fluid and rhythmic.

Steven could barely keep himself from stumbling over once the ruby-eyed stranger moaned into his mouth; He could feel bony hips press ardently against his stomach. Breaking the hungry kiss, Steven panted and lifted him from his lap.

"All right, let's go." The smile that grew on those soft lips seemed too enthused to be a good sign, but caution was for the sober. Steven snaked an arm around his waist and pulled him in for a quick, suggestive kiss. The ruby-eyed stranger practically _growled_ into his mouth and placed a rough slap on Steven's ass before grabbing his arm and _yanking_.

"I live around the block. If we run we should be to my apartment in less than three minutes." And he took off, sprinting for the exit. He turned around and waved for Steven to follow before pushing through the doors. Steven's feet took off and his body followed along at a trot that was comfortable enough as to not upset his stomach or balance.

Black hair and pale thighs were a few building down, still within sight and turning. Steven's heart was absolutely bursting with adrenaline. This had to be the most exhilarating thing to happen to him in _ages_!

Chasing the slender figure into an apartment building, up two flights of stairs and down a hallway Steven finally caught up to him while he fumbled to retrieve his key. The chase had only proved to intensify the hunger Steven felt for this little stranger. He made no effort to ease this process for the boy, pinning him to the door by his hips and molesting his neck between labored breaths. A muffled moan escaped his throat and hips bucked back against Steven's crotch, pressing evocatively and urgently.

"Let me unlock this door or I'm going to fuck you in the hallway." He groaned out fumbling to slip the key into the door while pinned down. With a vicious suck to the pale skin of his neck, Steven obliged. Within seconds the silverette shoved the black haired boy into his apartment and all but slammed him against the closed door. Their lips mashed together in a lascivious battle for dominance, tongues tactlessly sliding together. It was wet, messy and _hot._ Not long after, he fisted the material of Steven's jacket and pushed him backwards to the bedroom.

The larger man was forced backwards onto a soft mattress, mouth still invading his own eagerly, while his hands began to remove Steven's blazer and unbutton his shirt. Large hands slid the loose hoodie from slender shoulders before stroking up and down his smooth, lean arms.

He was smaller, his weight was comfortable atop Steven, and his body was lithe, pale and absolutely stunning. Steven craved to cover every inch of it with all kinds of possessive marks. Lips were mashed together once more and his small hands groped at Steven's torso; he had to fight the urge to squirm under those teasing fingertips. Some small, overwhelmed part of Steven's conscience was whispering to think about what he was doing; the remaining portions of his brain were flooded with drunkenness and pure _lust_ for this sexy little body. The whispering conscience inside of him was easily silenced by the enthusiastic tongue lapping at his lips.

Larger, rough hands caressed those smooth thighs that had captivated him at the club; they were even silkier than they looked. Breaking the messy kiss, Steven flipped him onto his back and spread pale thighs easily. He gasped when his lips first met the delicate skin there, gentle at first, encouraged by the small pleasurable sounds and quivering muscles under his lips to be more aggressive. He began sucking on the pale skin possessively, leaving a trail of marks and little bites along the inside of his legs. When his cries became desperate and hips began to arch up he pulled Steven away and flipped their positions again.

With his back pressed against the mattress and waist mounted by the beauty, Steven felt utterly intoxicated. His body was overwhelmed with the sensations, even more so when smaller hips began to grind themselves against his own.

The stranger moaned against his lips and began to buck his hips more enthusiastically using his full weight, albeit not very much, to press himself against Steven's own arousal. He could feel a tightening in his stomach when the boy whimpered in his ear, his hips cantering wildly. Steven's head was swimming from the sounds alone, the groans of the bedsprings in protest to his enthusiasm, desperate moans against his skin and the throbbing of his heart in his ears- along with the influence of alcohol- caused Steven's head to spin. Large hands curled into soft black hair, pulling him into a close kiss when his fingers groped at Steven's own groin and _rubbing_. Everything was so _good._ His body was hot, his breathing was ragged and uneven- like the garnet-eyed boy- and he couldn't even speak coherently any more.

"Ah-Ahhh feels…yesss! I'm close…" The boy mewled against his lips and thrashed hips even harder, practically fucking Steven into the mattress. A few more thrusts, the tightness in his stomach becoming unbearable, and they were both at their breaking point. "Nngh! Fuck!" He cried out against Steven's neck, tensed as he filled the tiny black shorts with his release. Steven bit down roughly on the stranger's pale shoulder as he came, groaning quietly while the boy whimpered and trembled.

The ruby-eyed beauty was gasping and panting against his skin, his full body weight against Steven's own when they finished. Once the smaller body relaxed, Steven rolled him over and looked up, hoping to see more of his lovely eyes up close. Unfortunately, pale eyelids sheathed the rubies and his lips were parted slightly, his breathing calm and slow. Was he…_sleeping? You've got to be kidding me…_

Steven nudged his cheek gently, trying to provoke a response- to no avail. The black-haired boy merely flopped over and snuggled into his pillow with a small sigh. _Unbelievable. _

Reality began to seep back into Steven's hazy mind, with an unwelcome reminder of the time. He scanned the room to spot a glowing alarm clock on the boy's nightstand. 4:24. _Fuck._ He had to be at work in about 4 hours, which he was in _no_ condition for. Before getting out of the bed he stared at the young face again, relaxed and serene with sleep. It wasn't just the alcohol coursing through his system clouding his judgment, this boy was lovely. Steven felt a small tug of his heart to cuddle next to the boy in bed and enjoy the little sounds he made as he slept. His better sense of judgment warned him otherwise, refusing to let him stay and see this bad decision out fully; He needed to quickly make his leave.

After tucking the slumbering figure beneath the fluffy comforter and leaving a glass of water by the bed, Steven fumbled out of the apartment building with hopes of making it home before the sun rose.

...

* * *

No amount of scalding water and scrubbing could get rid of the _sticky, dirty_ feeling that Steven could so vividly remember on his stomach and hips. Tonight had to be the most reckless foolish decision he'd made _ever._ With work in the morning, deadlines to meet and drinking himself into oblivion, having a one-night stand was _not_ an acquisition he was proud of. Let alone a one-night stand with a mysterious little imp- however lovely his eyes may be.

The worst part of it all was that his headache returned with a vengeance. It felt like his skull was splitting open from the extreme pressure and throbbing. The boiling water pelting him sounded like a million little bullets hitting the porcelain tub to his hypersensitive ears. _Fuck hangovers._ Pale skin was red and sore from the aggressive scouring and he was reeling from exhaustion. Still, he just couldn't get himself _clean._

Steven quit trying to rub his skin off, stumbled out of the shower, not even bothering to dry his hair, and slipped into a bathrobe. He didn't even have the energy- or coordination for that matter- to put on proper night clothes as he slipped into his welcoming bed. Trying his hardest to forget absolutely everything that happened and to ignore his pounding head, Steven closed his eyes and let much needed sleep consume him.

...

* * *

Coffee. Steven clutched at his head and stumbled into his office with what little grace he could muster- which was _very_ little. He needed coffee, and a lot of it.

He tossed his coat haphazardly over the leather computer chair and collapsed into said chair shortly after. Waking up on the late side was a given, which meant skipping breakfast and, more importantly, _coffee_. Steven made no hesitation to scramble through his desk drawer and fish out a small bottle of ibuprofen, taking the pills dry. He desperately wished that the little pills would be enough of a relief to get him through the day. As he struggled to twist the cap back on, his office door flung open with a shuddering thud against the wall. Jumping at the sound and dropping the bottle, Steven cursed while little white pills scattered everywhere. _Great._

Mr. Stone strolled into the office with a cheerfulness that made Steven grit his teeth. How anyone could be such a morning person was beyond him, but on mornings like this such enthusiasm only managed to piss him off.

"Good morning, my boy! Oh, looks like you've got butter fingers." Mr. Stone chuckled, much to Steven's annoyance. He managed to bite back any angry retorts that came to him, simply responding with a grunt. He had to get down on the floor to pick up the scattered pills on the carpet and under his desk.

"What do you want, dad?" Steven groaned from beneath the desk, generally disinterested in his father's visit but trying to speed up the process of removing the loud man from his office.

"I came here to remind you that your new assistant starts today! A very promising young man, I think he'll be a great help to you. You know, when I first had him running errands for me I considered keeping him as my own assistant, but then I thought 'No, I have Steven do all of the difficult work for me anyway. He'll surely need the boy more than me!' Especially with all of the company-" Steven cut him off before the loud man could ramble any more.

"That's great dad. Where is he?" There was actually hesitation before Mr. Stone continued to talk.

"Well…He should be here any minute. He called in to let us know he'd be running a little- Ah! Here he comes!" Mr. Stone laughed heartily and Steven heard running feet come into the room. "We were just talking about you, it was right on cue!"

Steven had to fight the urge to bash his head into the desk. The last thing he needed was an unreliable, inexperienced assistant to bog him down with more work. Training new employees was tedious and a waste of time. Steven hadn't even _wanted_ an assistant, his father just cavorted into his office one day and told him the _wonderful news _that he would be getting a new assistant; who had no qualifications _whatsoever._ His only warrant to the position was that Mr. Stone had taking a shining to him; but really who _hadn't_ he taken a shining to?

"Welcome to Devon Corp, son! I trust that you had no difficulty getting here?" Steven heard a small voice through the desk.

"Ah, no sir.''

"Marvelous! This is where you'll be working from now on, with my very own son. He's a bit of a stick in the mud, so don't let him work you _too _hard." The president chuckled boisterously. Steven just rolled his eyes and collected the last of the scattered pills.

"If you would _not_ come into my office and blatantly insult me, I would appreciate it." He grumbled, crawling out from behind the thick wood and brushing off his shirt.

"Anyway, meet my son, the vice president, Steven. Steven, this is your assistant, Brendan." Steven shoved the bottle back into the drawer and glanced up at the boy standing with his father.

Lanky body, pale skin, dark black hair, and vivid ruby eyes stood before him, smiling and waiting. Steven felt his body freeze and his heart practically stop.

_This has to be a joke._

_.~*~._

* * *

_Thanks for reading everyone! I hope you like the story so far, things are going to get interesting ;)_

_Please review/comment! I love to hear feedback from all of you, if you have anything you'd like to see in this story or have any suggestions I'd love to hear those as well! (Your responses are what encourage me to upload more!)  
-_

_Until next time, Chayin_


	2. Chapter 2

_I'm just going to apologize for taking so long, I'm going to try to update sooner next time!  
_

_Hopefully an extra long chapter will compensate-_

_I hope it was worth the wait~_

* * *

_.~*~._

Blue eyes searched red frantically; searching for a sign, any hints that this was a cruel joke. Mr. Stone just patted the ruby-eyed boy on the back and waltzed out with a wave yelling,

"Have a good first day!"

Leaving Steven alone in his office with his one-night stand. The boy just stood in front of the desk, clutching the hem of his vest, his smile beginning to falter.

"Is...is something wrong sir?"

Steven felt cold and his heart was hammering against his ribcage. What should he say? He didn't even know where to begin a conversation with someone he drunkenly slept with… _well mostly slept with_. Now this boy was going to be his employee?

"Ah…I'm sorry. Have we met before?" Thin black eyebrows furrowed while Brendan thought.

"I don't believe we have, I'm sorry."

"Are you positive?" Steven could only dream…

"Yes, why?" Brendan laughed lightly and slid his hands into his pockets. Steven frowned in thought and plopped his chin on his hand. Was this kid so drunk that he doesn't remember anything? Is this the same kid? _It was too damned early for this crap._

"You just seem really…familiar." Steven groaned and slumped in his chair desperately wishing the pain relievers would kick in faster, demonic headache suddenly doubling in strength. "I have your first task for you. Consider it an opportunity for you to prove yourself capable of following simple tasks."

"Yes, sir!" Brendan bowed his head and Steven rolled his eyes. _Newbies. _

"Go down two floors, five cubicals past the copy room is the break room. Fill this mug with the premium blend. Black. Don't mess it up, don't drag your feet. And drop the _sir_ thing. You may call me Steven." Wide red eyes blinked as a smile spread across the young face.

"I won't let you down, Steven!" The boy giggled and darted out of the office.

Was the kid even hungover from last night? Steven could barely walk without tripping over himself, and he wasn't half as drunk as the boy who just _ran _out of his office. That is, if it even _was _the same boy.

_No_, he had to be the only person in the region with such unusual eyes. Besides, if it was the same guy he'd be covered with bruises and bite marks; it should be easy for Steven to catch a glimpse of any hickies if he got close enough.

He could still remember where he placed the marks on his soft neck. Memories of the pale skin wiggled past his headache, the feeling of him, the smell, _the_ _taste. _He could only faintly remember what the boy's voice sounded like, he heard it mostly in whispers and moans- which he doubted he would be hearing from Brendan in the workplace.

The cool desk met Steven's forehead. Of all the people to drunkenly sleep with, of all the potential employees to be his assistant...this _kid_ had to be both. On top of everything he still needed to train the new employee while getting his work done.

_Ah…work…_

Steven pried his head from the hard surface and booted up his computer. Almost half an hour had passed already and he still hadn't gotten any work done. _Or gotten any damn coffee._ Weeks prior the young VP had been begged by Brawly to join him on a date that evening, a sort of double date to get in Roxanne's good graces and something about the girl being "just his type," and was not the type of man to back out on previously made engagements- so he needed to finish today's work in a _somewhat_ timely fashion.

He stifled a yawn as he scrolled through his emails, deadlines, deadlines more deadlines, occasionally a report from the research department and plenty of chain mail (which he never bothered reading) scattered throughout his inbox from his father. When he went to empty his spam folder he noticed an unread message titled "ASSISTANT" which enclosed the reminder that Brendan would be coming today. _Huh…that would have been useful to know in advance._

Brendan elbowed open the door and cheerfully presented the coffee to his boss.

"Ta-dah! I managed to find the break room and come back without getting lost!" He pushed a manila envelope towards Steven. "Also, someone from marketing wanted me to give this to you. He said he needs the report on it by noon."

Steven tossed the folder among the plethora of papers on his desk with a grunt and grabbed the coffee greedily.

Steven took a large sip of the dark beverage. _Aah sweet nectar of the- _

He frowned at the taste and refrained from glaring at the young assistant.

"Did you put sugar in this?" Brendan smiled and nodded, still proud of himself for finding his way around the office.

"Yeah, and I used the real stuff. Not some artificial sweetener like-"

Steven practically slammed the mug down and pushed it away, rubbing his sore temples.

"What part of _black coffee_ didn't you understand?" Ruby eyes looked confused and slightly downcast.

"Well, if there wasn't any sugar it would be really bitter so…I'm sorry I'll go get-" He reached for the mug, only to have his hands swatted away.

"No, I'll do it _myself_." Steven stood up from his desk irritably and grabbed the mug. He sifted through the papers and grabbed a pile of envelopes. "I want you to take these to the mail room. It's in the basement." He shoved the papers into the assistant's hands and trudged to the door. "Try not to screw anything up, _newbie_."

...

* * *

After rejuvenating himself with two cups of coffee, Steven felt better prepared to face the rest of the day- and his callow assistant. It was a struggle to make it to his lunch break with the chatty young man buzzing around his office. He wanted to know _everything _about the company, and didn't understand _anything._ While running errands Brendan had gotten lost four times, sometimes even returning back to the office forgetting what he was supposed to do.

What Steven perhaps hated the most though was his _damn cheerfulness_. He was just constantly happy and excited- _like his father_. No wonder he got the position so easily. Working with someone like his father in his office was a _nightmare_ to Steven. He couldn't believe that the seductive little minx he met at night was like_ this _during the day. _Maybe he was just so drunk off his ass that this was attractive to him…_

Steven spun around in his chair and grabbed the brunette by the back of his shirt and pulled him away from the window.

"Stop pulling at my blinds. You're going to break them. Besides, I gave you paperwork to do." He motioned to the pile of forms on his desk set aside for the boy.

"I know, but this view is just _incredible_! You should really open up the curtains!" Steven just grabbed the forms and shoved them into his stomach before spinning back to type away at his keyboard.

"No." Brendan just chuckled and strolled around his desk.

"Where am I supposed to fill out these forms? You don't have any chairs or tables in your office…" He leaned on the desk and watched Steven with glittering eyes. Steven didn't even bother glancing up from his computer screen to respond.

"If I had chairs people would get comfortable and stay longer."

"But where am I-" Steven glanced up from his screen with a firm frown on his face.

"That's not my problem." Brendan quirked an eyebrow at his boss left the office with a wave.

"Alright then!" Steven just grumbled something about him being useless and resumed clacking away at the keyboard.

...

* * *

"What are you doing? You can't bring all of those into my office." Steven clutched the side of his head as he watched Brendan carry in a dozen plastic crates.

"Well, you didn't want to do anything about the desk situation so I'm making my own."

"Stop being ridiculous. Just get a clip board or something." Brendan chuckled as he carried in a large board and settled it across two stacks of crates. He took the remaining crates and made himself a little chair.

"If I'm going to sit around and do paperwork I'm going to need a desk." Steven glared at the new employee, not fond of the bright orange disaster of a desk stationed by his door.

"Where did you get all of this crap anyway?" Steven thrust the stack of paperwork at Brendan when he walked over to retrieve it. The brunette grinned and stole a pen from the VP's desk.

"My friend in the development department helped me get them out of their storage. Pretty smart, huh?"

"Now I can give you more desk-work." Steven stood up from his desk and scanned through the bookshelves beside him, pulling out an assortment of thick textbooks. He walked across the room and plopped them onto Brendan's "desk."

"I want you to read everything about corporate finances by Sunday. You have two days. Then I'm going to start having you fill out the reports for me."

Brendan looked up at Steven with determination.

"I'm going to do such a good job, you'll be super impressed!" Steven rolled his eyes and sauntered back to his desk.

"Whatever. Just don't screw it up."

While working at his computer Steven stole a few glances at his new assistant, who was already reading the first book ardently. He may have been as grating as sandpaper, but at least he was nice to look at.

...

* * *

Brendan felt himself going cross-eyed from reading the small print for so long. He'd been straining to digest the Devon Corp Manual of Economics for the past two hours and was ready to pull his hair out. He was beginning to feel the toll of his excessive drinking and the pile of books about business surplus and deficit were _not_ helping his hangover.

The black haired boy had been so focused on his book that he nearly fell off his crate when he was hit in the head with a piece of paper.

"Yo, newbie, it's lunch time." He stared up at his employer's face with unfocused red eyes.

"Huh?"

"Lunch break? You know, we get to go eat now." Steven explained slowly before throwing his jacket on and strolling out.

"Wait up!" Brendan scrambled to catch up to the silverette, who just grunted in acknowledgement.

"I uh, I'm pretty new to Rustboro. Maybe…I was hoping you would show me where to go to eat?"

"I was just going to pick up a pastry and coffee at café across the street." Steven stopped at the elevator and held down the button. He didn't have very much of an appetite after heavy drinking.

"That's fine! I'm good with anything." Brendan beamed up at the older man.

Taking advantage of the small space of the elevator, Steven glanced down the collar of Brendan's shirt to find a cluster of dark bruises on the pale skin. The young assistant was so close that Steven could smell his clean ebony hair. _He smelled so enticing_. Not the same as the night before, but _better. _Ruby eyes glanced up at blue ones as he grinned.

"Are you coming?" Steven was careful to hide any indication that he was thinking about the boy and hummed as he strode out of the elevator.

* * *

"Are you going to say anything?" Brendan sucked at the syrupy-sweet beverage as he beamed at his boss. Steven glanced up at the brunette from his blueberry muffin.

"Should I?" Brendan placed his cheek in his hand and laughed.

"Well, that's normally what people do when they eat together, right?" Steven shrugged and picked off a piece of his muffin.

"I don't usually share my lunch break with people." Ruby eyes closed as the brunette sighed.

"Ah, well then I'll start. Why are you so grumpy today?"

Steven practically snorted before sipping his coffee. _Perhaps because I got smashed and had a rendezvous with you last night? Maybe it was your constant chattering and my pounding headache?_

"Rough night." He settled with, noticing the slight blush to Brendan's cheeks.  
"Huh, Me too actually. A friend of mine suggested we go out and celebrate my first job, so we had a couple drinks…I think I may have gotten a little carried away."

This was his chance.

"So what happened?" Brendan hesitated and stirred his white chocolate mocha frappe with caramel and _extra_ whipped cream. The name of the drink alone made Steven gag.

"Uh…I guess I had one too many drinks and wound up sleeping with a stranger." Steven feigned indifference and took a bite of his muffin.

"You _guess_?"

"Yeah, I mean…I don't really remember what happened…I don't handle my drinks very well."

_By don't handle your drinks very well you mean dragging home strangers and begging for them to have sex with you and then COMPLETELY FORGETTING WHAT HAPPENED?_

"Noted." Steven glanced up at his assistant, enjoying the flustered expression on his red face. "There was something I was wondering, newbie. Why would you take a job in something you have absolutely no experience in? Wouldn't you rather do something you're more suited to?"

"This is my first time living on my own, and a job's a job. I need something to pay off all of my student loan debt…"

"What are you going to school for then?" Red eyes sparkled with excitement and he leaned closer to Steven, practically shouting.

"Fashion design! I've been studying design for the past few years and am hoping to make it in the industry. I designed the clothes I'm wearing right now- I mean, they're nothing _special_ but I create most of my clothes. You know I could make _you_ something if you wanted. All I need is your-"

"Why not get a fashion related job then? Why be an executive assistant at Devon Corp?"

"Why not be an executive assistant?" Brendan laughed and leaned back in his chair. "It will be an adventure." It took every fiber of his being not to laugh in the young man's face. An _adventure?_ Please. Steven rolled his eyes and stood up from the table, gathering his trash.

"I'm done. I'm heading back." Garnet eyes widened in surprise and he stood up from the table quickly.

"Whaaaat? Already? I wanted to buy a piece of cake!" Steven pointed to his watch as he pushed open the door.

"Tick-Tock newbie!" The silverette headed back to the office with a smirk. _This kid had no idea what he was getting himself into._

_..._

* * *

Steven needed to _go_. Brawly was texting and calling him, trying to get him out of the office for the double date which Steven was already late to. The constant buzzing of his cellphone was driving him mad so he muted it and shoved it in his pocket.

If he left in the next fifteen minutes he would get there with just enough time to catch a cab and meet them at the restaurant_. _If only his _damned assistant would hurry up with his copies!_ He glanced at the clock anxiously, waiting for the ruby-eyed boy to come back.

Five minutes later Brendan ran into the room with a stack of papers in his arms, panting and dropping the papers onto the hardwood desk.

"I managed to get all of your copies for tomorrow's meeting, the data analysis from logistics is in the manila folder- stapled and ready to go- but the fax machine got messed up when I was getting the report from legal so I only got half…" Brendan handed Steven the half-completed report and evaded his eyes.

"_Fuck_! This still has to be hand completed once I get all of it! I don't have the time to fill it out! _Damn it newbie! _Don't you know how to use a fax machine?!" Steven slammed the papers down on the desk and clutched the bridge of his nose. _Brawly would never let him hear the end of this_.

"I did what I could but I didn't know what to do when I got an error message. I can try to retrieve the message and-" Brendan grabbed the incomplete report, only to have it snatched away. Steven tossed on his coat and started for the door.

"_No_. I'll just do it myself."

"Wait!" Brendan grabbed his arm before he left the office, only to be met with icy blue eyes.

"I can fix it, just give me the chance. You have the information that needs to be filled out on file so I can fill it out for you too. You can sign it all and look it over when I'm done. I…I can take it to you. Just let me fix this…" Steven hesitated and looked into pleading ruby eyes, small hands still clinging to his coat. He finally handed the papers to the young assistant and turned away.

"Leave it on my desk. I'll come back before I go home. Don't slack off on everything else I assigned for you." Brendan bowed his head and watched his distraught boss rush out of the office.

_He wouldn't screw this up._

_..._

* * *

"Dude, you are sooooo late! Why didn't you text me back?" Steven stepped out of his cab and gave his friend an exhausted look.

"There were some _issues _at the office. I rushed to get here and I made it so cut me a break." Brawly took no hesitation in leading Steven into the restaurant.

"The girls are both here; we've been waiting for you. By the way what ever happened to you last night? Pick up a cute chick at the bar?" Brawly nudged his side with his elbow, while Steven tried his hardest not to blush. Fortunately, the blue haired man was rather oblivious to any reaction while Steven appeared composed.

"Not…quite." Brawly dropped the topic quickly and greeted the two young women sitting at the table, introducing Steven and sitting next to the girl Steven remembered as Roxanne.

"This is Winona, she's Roxy's friend from out of town." The dainty woman with lilac hair smiled and greeted Steven as he sat next to her. 'Roxy' took this opportunity to lean closer to her friend and share Steven's business ties.

"He's the VP of Devon Corp." Winona looked at him in surprise and tried to spark some conversation.

"Really? How impressive!" Steven smiled politely and glanced through his menu.

"Actually, that's why I was running late. I have this new useless assistant and was running behind."

"That's alright, I'm quite a fan of the research your company's been doing. Developing technology to revive fossils is astounding!" Steven caught Roxanne whispering something to Brawly about "them really hitting it off" soon after he received a wink from his skirt-chasing friend.

However, it would have been more accurate to say that Winona really hit it off with Steven. She was polite, friendly, sociable and genuinely interested in him. Her face was lovely and she seemed very kind. She usually would have been just Steven's type. _Usually. _

Steven on the other hand, was not his usual self. After such a draining day he was in no mood to pick up girls with Brawly. He didn't want any 'action' that Brawly said would be good for him; he had enough _action_ last night to hold him for a while.

It's not that Steven didn't _want_ to enjoy himself with Winona, she was everything that he would look for in a date. She was perfectly datable and perfectly _dull_. There was no spark, no chemistry, no _adventure_. His disinterest was all because of the thrill he'd recently discovered with _him_. And he couldn't stop thinking about him.

When he would think about how her hair was such a pretty lavender hue, memories of fluffy black hair would come back to him. If her hand would brush his, he would remember how nice Brendan's small warm hands felt tangled in his hair. He couldn't even make eye contact with the girl because her eyes were _not glistening gems like his._

It infuriated Steven. He simply wanted to enjoy a nice meal with this woman and he couldn't stop thinking about that _twerp_. _Who was probably messing up his paperwork while they dined…_

Fortunately, the group decided to end the night around eleven. Steven was grateful that his blue haired companion didn't try to draw the night out any longer; however as punishment for arriving late he paid for everyone's drinks at dinner.

As he said goodbye, he heard Roxanne chatter something to Winona about 'being so cute together' while Brawly hung behind to have a minute with Steven.

"Hey man, thanks for helping me out. Roxy insisted that I wouldn't get to see her while Winona was in town unless I had someone for her. She really seemed into you, but what's up? She not your type?" Steven checked his phone and noticed an unread message from an unfamiliar number, he shrugged and brushed off Brawly's questions before looking at it.

"I just really wasn't in the mood to go out tonight. She was nice."

"Really? I thought I had she was just your type."

"She is, it's just…"

"Is there somebody else you're into? Do you have a girlfriend on the sly that you didn't tell me about?" Steven was taken aback; it was unlike Brawly to be so adept at reading him. Brawly was an accepting guy, he wouldn't have given Steven a hard time about sleeping with a guy. Steven just preferred that no one know about his drunken affair with his now-assistant.

"No, it's not like that. I've got a lot going on right now. I'm not really interested in a relationship…or getting any 'action'." That seemed believable enough. Brawly just gave him a concerned glance and patted his friend on the back.

"Alright, but if anything's wrong you can tell me about it." Steven just nodded and waved his friend good-bye before reading the message on his phone.

'_I did it.'_

_..._

* * *

Steven wanted to get his papers completed as soon as possible so he could go home and go to bed. It was almost midnight when he finally got to his office which was _not locked_. No, in fact the door wasn't even closed. But as soon as the VP was irritated by the situation, his irritation vanished. He entered his office to find the young assistant collapsed onto his makeshift desk, face in a book and slightly drooling.

_He stayed so…late_. Steven examined the boy for a moment, considering waking him up, but decided he preferred his assistant this way. Quiet, peaceful, and haphazardly strewn along the crates that looked like they could topple any minute. The slack face in the textbook was serene and looked like porcelain under the dim moonlight that slipped past the curtains. Steven could remember how nice that face felt in his hands, he was tempted to reach out and touch his vulnerable cheek but decided otherwise. He would have no idea what to say if the boy woke up.

Deciding to leave before Brendan stirred, however amusing it would have been to see him flustered when he woke, he grabbed the report from his desk and slipped out the door with one last look at the sleeping boy.

When he was outside of the building, Steven decided to at least wake Brendan up. He couldn't just let the boy sleep on a desk made out of crates until morning. He called Brendan's phone and imagined the brunette's reaction, he must have been so surprised. A small groggy voice answered the phone.

"Mm…hello?"

"Brendan?" He heard some scrambling of papers as the boy jolted alert.

"Steven! D-did you get my text?"

"I did, I'm on my way to the office now. I'm sorry did I wake you up?" Steven hoped his grin wasn't audible over the phone.

"No, I uh…I was just reading." Steven held in a laugh as he listened to his assistant try to get himself together.

"Alright. I'll see you in the morning. Let's hope this report is good, newbie." Steven hung up, setting for home while looking over the report.

Much to his surprise, everything was done correctly. It was obvious that the newbie worked really hard on it, and even worked on all of the studying he was assigned. _And he stayed until midnight_. Steven collapsed onto his bed, wiggled out of his shoes and unbuttoned his shirt. As Steven buried his face into a fluffy pillow he felt a twinge of guilt for being so tough on the kid all morning. It wasn't his fault that it was such a crappy situation- well it half was, but he worked his ass off and deserved some kind of recognition; and Steven knew just how to thank him.

_.~*~._

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed it, and Steven's not THAT grumpy all the time. Be forgiving. _

_And remember review review review! It will motivate me to stop playing Animal Crossing: New Leaf and actually write more ;)_

_-With love, Chayin_


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